Sump pumps are in widespread use in most every residential and commercial structure. There are two common types of sump pumps. One known type of sump pump is commonly referred to as a submersible-type pump. In a submersible-type pump arrangement, the pump, including the motor, is positioned in a sump such that the entire assembly may be subject to immersion in the liquid in the sump. That is, the pump and motor may be positioned below the operating liquid level of the sump.
A pedestal-type pump, on the other hand, is configured such that the liquid-handling pump portion of the assembly rests in a sump below or at a normal liquid operating level. The motor portion of the pump assembly is mounted in spaced relation to the pump portion, and is typically above the normal operating water level. In this manner, the pump motor is generally not subject to immersion into the liquid in the sump.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that because the pump motor has considerable mass, pedestal-type sump pumps can be rather unstable when positioned in the sump. In an effort to increase the stability of such pumps, a variety of sump pump mounting arrangements have been developed. In one known mounting arrangement, the pump body is bolted or otherwise fixedly secured to the floor of the sump. Although this is an effective manner in which to secure the pump to the sump base, there still exists the instability associated with a large mass, i.e., the pump motor, that is positioned in spaced relation to (e.g., above) the fixedly mounted pump body. As such, the pump motor can produce a cantilever effect along the pump shaft, which in turn can adversely affect the performance and the life of the pump. Moreover, in such an arrangement, the pump can tip within the sump. This can result in binding of the pump float switch and consequent overflow of the sump.
Another known mounting method includes angled-type clamps that are affixed to upright portions of the pump and fixedly mounted to surfaces adjacent to the top of the sump. While this manner of securing the sump pump has proven effective in securing the pump, it has a number of drawbacks. First, because the clamps are fixedly mounted to both the pump motor and to adjacent surfaces there is no stress relief which may be necessary due to vibration or otherwise shifting of the pump. Second, the fixed mounting configuration increases the time necessary to remove the pump from the sump in the event that the pump requires maintenance or replacement.
In another type of mounting arrangement, the sump pump is mounted to a sump cover that extends over the top of the sump. This mounting method suffers from some of the same drawbacks as the angled clamp mounting configuration. That is, in order to access the pump for maintenance or removal, it may be necessary to manipulate the pump and/or the sump cover, which can be cumbersome and time consuming. Moreover, this mounting configuration also suffers from the rigidity problems associated with the angled clamp mounting configuration in that stress relief may not be provided for vibration or shifting of the pump.
In yet another known mounting configuration, the pump is fitted with an uppermost plate that envelopes the pump motor shaft and discharge piping. The plate includes a number of eye hooks to which cables can be connected to lift the pump and/or secure the pump in place. While this is an effective method for handling and mounting the pump, the additional weight of the upper plate can cause the pump assembly to become unstable and can increase the cantilever effect at the upper portion of the pump.
Accordingly, there continues to be a need for a sump pump mounting configuration that facilitates securing the pump to the sump, and provides for ease of handling of the pump. Such a mounting configuration includes provisions for alarms such as high water alarms, switches for pump initiation and termination, motor starting switches, pump cord strain relief devices and the like.